Touch ID is designed for iOS users to quickly unlock the device. It is so convenient that as long as you have set your fingerprints, you can unlock your iPhone, make purchases or confirmation without entering the password.
However, users may be unable to activate Touch ID on iPhone 5/6/7 or other versions. In this post, we will specify why you can't activate the Touch ID and how to solve the Touch ID not working problem.
Why am I unable to activate Touch ID on this iPhone
When you are unable to active Touch ID on this iPhone, you can check whether it is caused by the following reasons:
- Your iPhone doesn't update to the latest version of iOS.
- Your finger did not cover the whole Home button when you were activating it.
- Your finger and the Home button are not clean and dry.
- You tap too quickly or move your finger around when Touch ID is scanning.
- You are using a screen protector.
- The Home button is not working and it cannot be used as Touch ID anymore.
Solution 1 Reset All Settings
The first and the simplest thing you can do is to check and reset your settings. Because it might be modified without your knowing.
Go to the Settings app > General > Reset > Reset All Settings. Enter your password and confirm it.
Solution 2 Turn Off Password
Turning off password is also a very easy way to try:
Go to the Settings > Tap Touch ID and Password > Passcode lock > Enter your password and hit Turn passcode off.
Check whether your Touch ID works. If it works, you don't need to create a new passcode. If it doesn't work, skip to the next one.
Solution 3 Activate Touch ID via Settings on iPhone
When you are unable to activate Touch ID on iPhone 5/6/7, your Touch ID may be disabled on your device.
To reactivate it, go to Settings > Touch ID and Passcode > Enter your password to unlock it. Then you will see a screen with the section: Add a Fingerprint.
Cover the whole Home button with your finger. Make sure both of your fingers and the Home button are dry and clean.
Now, you can reactivate your Touch ID and unlock your iPhone.
Solution 4 Hard Reset Your Device
Hard reset fixes many problems of the phones. Thus, if all of your settings are fine but the unable to active Touch ID problem still exists, try hard reset your iPhone.
For iPhone 5/6, hold the sleep/wake button and Home button together till the screen goes black.
Keep holding it and you will see the Apple logo on the screen. Now release the buttons.
For iPhone 7, hold the sleep/wake button and the Volume down button together.
Keep holding it and when you see the Apple logo on the screen, release the buttons. It will automatically reboot your system.
Solution 5 Factory Restore Your iPhone With iTunes
This should be the last resort you can try because factory reset with iTunes will erase everything on your iPhone.
If you have backed up your data before, then you can continue with the processes in iTunes:
Step 1 Connect your iPhone to the computer via USB cable.
Step 2 Enable iTunes on your computer and select your device.
Step 3 Click Summary > Restore iPhone. Click Restore again to confirm.
When the process finishes, you can set your iPhone again and the Touch ID should work.
What should you do if you haven't backed up before and don't want to factory reset your iPhone? Here I'd like to introduce Passvers iOS System Recovery to you.
It is a tool that resets the iPhone in two modes: Standard Mode and Advanced Mode.
Using the Standard Mode to reset the iPhone can prevent your phone from data loss. The steps are simple:
Connect your iPhone to the computer, put your iPhone in recovery mode .
After entering the information of your phone, Passvers iOS System Recovery will reset your iPhone without iTunes and not erasing your data. Read: How to Restore iPhone with iTunes and without Losing Data .
Only the Standard Mode can reset your phone without losing data.
Get into Locked iPhone without Touch ID in a Fast Way
If you have tried all the solutions but the touch ID just won't work, or you happen to forget the screen passcode so that you can't get into the locked iPhone. Here is s quick solution for you: Passvers iPhone Unlocker .
It is a software that specializes in removing the screen passcode, Apple ID, and Screen Time passcode. More importantly, it is so easy to use that within several steps you can get into the phone quickly and reset the passcode later. Let's check out how to do:
First, download and install Passvers iPhone Unlocker.
Second, you will see three options on the first page. Choose Wipe Passcode and go on.
Screen Time is used to remove the forgotten Screen Time passcode so that you can set it again.
Third, connect the iPhone to the computer and the program will detect the device type and model automatically. You should make sure the information is correct and click Start. The software will download the firmware package that accords with your device. It might take a while to finish.
Fourth, once the firmware package is downloaded, you will be asked to enter "0000" to confirm the unlocking.
After you are confirmed with the unlocking, the unlocking process will continue. When you see the progress bar goes to 20%, your phone will get into Recovery mode.
Finally, when the unlocking process finishes, you can get into your phone to reset the touch ID and the screen passcode.
Important
There are some important things you should know before unlocking the phone:
1. All data will be erased after unlocking the screen.
2. You can download Passvers iPhone Unlocker for free but remember to register before unlocking.
3. You'd better turn off Find My iPhone before unlocking. If Fine My iPhone is enabled, you will need to enter the iCloud passcode to reset the phone.
4. Your device will be updated to the latest iOS version after the unlocking.
At last, if all the solutions above or any other methods that you found on the Internet but nothing works, then you'd better seek help from Apple tech support. Something likely goes wrong with your Home button.